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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com